That Perfect Girl Is Gone
by MoreLikeHer
Summary: Queen Elsa has always respected the wishes of her parents, even after their passing. So when she is told she must marry Prince Hans, she does not complain. However, when she meets Jack Frost, a new man in Arendelle with powers astonishingly similar to her own, Elsa begins to question the life her parents have mapped out for her. Main pairings include Jelsa and Kristanna.
1. Perfect Isn't Easy

**I am so excited to be starting on my first story! Thank you for reading and giving it a chance, and I hope you like it. In this universe, Frozen and Rise of the Guardians didn't happen, but Jack and Elsa still have their powers. Characters from both movies will appear, as will mentions of Tangles, How to Train Your Dragon, Brave, etc. Again, I hope you like it!**

**-E**

**Disclaimer: Disney and DreamWorks own all of the characters. I just use them for my own entertainment.**

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"Elsa, Elsa, wake up, wake up, wake up!" The loud voice, coupled with the fact that my shoulder was being violently shaken, was enough to wake me from my peaceful sleep. I groggily sat up and rubbed at my eyes. Slowly, I opened them to see my younger sister Anna sitting on the edge of my bed, looking even more excited than usual.

"Today's the big day!" she exclaimed in an excited manner. "I can't wait to meet him. What do you think he's going to be like?"

"Anna, I won't even get a chance to meet him if I can't get dressed," I pointed out with a soft little laugh. Anna stopped speaking mid-sentence, and then seemed to remember that I was still sitting in bed, with just my nightwear on.

"Oh, right," she said, quickly backing out of the room. "Hurry up though! I want to talk before he gets here!" she shouted through the closed door.

I sighed as I reluctantly heaved myself out of the bed and walked over to my closet. Even though I had a myriad of dresses to select from, none of them were particularly appealing at the moment. I decided to just close my eyes and pick one at random. My hands landed on a soft fabric and noticed that I had chosen a blue dress with a few black and purple designs on it. I added a purple cape and did my hair up into an intricate bun.

Lastly, I glanced toward my vanity and spotted the dreaded tiara sitting there, twinkling at me. My coronation was only a week prior, but thankfully nothing had gone amiss. Resigning myself that the day was going to happen whether I wanted it or not, I grabbed the tiara and delicately placed it atop my head. The reflection in the mirror was a terrified one, but I managed to smooth my features out into one that was a bit more appropriate for the occasion. By all rights, today should be one of the happiest days of my life.

Yet that didn't stop my gloved hands from trembling, or my mind from worrying. Today marked a new future for me, and in this future, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to keep my powers a secret anymore.

I had been born with the power to control ice and snow. For the first few years of my life, I had felt privileged and I even saw my powers as a special gift. That was, until I hurt Anna. We had been playing like we often did. She had been jumping on pillars of snow I had created for her, but she went too fast. I cringed as I remembered accidentally striking her in the face with and icy blast.

Luckily, my parents were able to save Anna with the help of magic trolls that lived in a distant part of our kingdom. As a consequence, however, Anna forgot I had powers, and my parents had kept me isolated from her until their death. It was for the best, I knew that. Still, I hated that every time Anna would come to my door, asking me to play or to build a snowman, I was forced to say no each time. After my parents had died, I couldn't keep shutting Anna out anymore. I tried for a month or two, but after that I finally came out of my room. It took a while, but eventually Anna and I had once again built up the friendship we had had as children. The only difference was that she still didn't know about my powers. No one except for me knew now that my mother and father were gone.

At my coronation last week, I had been a nervous wreck. I wasn't allowed to wear gloves during part of my ceremony, and I was sure that my powers were going to be exposed to the entire kingdom. It was by sheer luck that they weren't.

But this day was even worse. Anna didn't understand what I was going through, since she would never have to be put through this. Today, I was going to meet my fiancé for the first time in my life. This had been arranged since my birth, though I hadn't known until my parents' will had been unearthed. All I knew was that the mystery man was a prince of the Southern Isles. I didn't even know his name. He was supposed to come to my coronation last week, but inclement weather had prevented him from attending.

I didn't know how I was supposed to keep my powers from someone that I was going to be forced to live with for the rest of my life. But more importantly, what if I didn't love him? We would only have two weeks to get to know each other before the wedding, during which he would be crowned King of Arendelle, and we would rule together.

"Elsa?" Anna asked tentatively, pushing open the door. I suddenly realized that I had been standing in front of my vanity, lost in my thoughts, for at least fifteen minutes. "Oh, Elsa, you look gorgeous!" Anna gushed. "The prince is going to just die when he sees you."

"I'm nervous Anna," I murmured. Anna gave me a sympathetic look, but she didn't truly understand. Anna could marry whomever she chose, seeing as she was the second-born, and would not be heir to the throne unless some disaster were to happen and I died before the prince and I were wed.

"Don't worry Elsa," Anna said in her most reassuring tone. "I'm sure he's a great person, and I'll be there the whole time. I'll smack him if he gives you any trouble."

As always, Anna always found a way to make me laugh. "Thanks," I said, smiling at her. She smiled back and together we made our way from my bedroom into the Grand Hall. Citizens of Arendelle would be pouring in in a couple of hours or so for a ball to celebrate my engagement. Most were out in the courtyard during my coronation, but I wanted to present myself as a queen who knew her citizens on a personal level. My advisors were not entirely convinced, but I managed to persuade them to let the common folk attend my ball, not just lords and ladies from neighboring kingdoms.

Anna immediately went to inspect the food selection, no doubt to try and sneak in some chocolates before the ceremony. Both of us had a weakness for the sweet dessert, but as Queen, I was forced to keep my indulgences in check. I had an appearance to upkeep. Anna was under pressure as well, but she had always been able to get away with much more than I had. Again, I was envious of her, but still I did not wish my life upon her. Anna deserved more than this life.

Two hours seemed like an eternity to me, so I requested some paperwork be sent down so I could work through it. Many of the letters I received were discussing trade options between Arendelle and whatever kingdom happened to be writing. During the first day of my rule, I had been bombarded with proposals from kingdoms far and wide asking for my hand. I spent the entire day attempting to decline them politely, saying that I was already betrothed. That first day almost drove me crazy, and Anna had to send for several mugs of hot chocolate to get me through all the letters.

I was just signing my name to a trade agreement when the first of my guests began to arrive. They were all lords that had stayed in Arendelle from my coronation. The first to approach me happened to be the Duke of Weselton, one of my closet partners in trade.

"Why, my queen, I absolutely cannot wait to meet with your fiancé," the Duke said in his oily voice. "The Southern Isles and Weselton have always been friendly with each other, and no doubt the union of your two kingdoms will strengthen the bond between all three of us. I am sure that I will be seeing much more of you in the future."

The way he was talking made me want to cringe, but I maintained a professional demeanor. "Then I trust you are enjoying your stay in Arendelle?" I asked as politely as I could manage.

"Yes, accommodations are simply superb," the Duke responded. Thankfully, another lord requested to speak with the man, so he left me. Alas, he was only the first of many lords that I had to speak with before I could intermingle with the curious citizens that were slowly starting to trickle in.

All of my people had dressed in their best attire; I saw several young children attempting to adjust suits or looking on their dresses with distaste. Poor widows seemed to shrink when standing next to a noblewoman, so I personally sought out these individuals who seemed at loss of what to do. I could relate to them, and speaking with them kept my mind of the most anticipated visitor of the night, who had yet to make an appearance.

I was turning from a young couple that I had been talking to, Aslaug and Leif, when my most trusted servant, Gerda, appeared at my side. "My lady, the prince of the Southern Isles has arrived. You and your sister must return to the front of the hall, near the throne, before his formal entry to the party." Nodding to show I understood Gerda's words, I managed to skillfully weave my way through the throng to stand in front of my throne. I noticed Anna clumsily making her way towards me, almost tripping over the hem of her own dress.

Not a moment sooner than Anna found her way to my side did trumpets blare. The lords and ladies in attendance moved to the sides of the room, with my citizens quickly following, all making room for the prince's appearance. An announcer was the first to enter my hall. Rolling out a small scroll, he cleared his throat and began speaking. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, it is my honor to present to you your betrothed, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles!" he proclaimed.

At his words, the prince and his entire entourage came bursting through my doors. I could tell that Prince Hans was the one leading the procession; he carried himself in a way that none but a royal could. "Oh, he's cute!" Anna whispered from beside me. I didn't necessarily disagree with her. Prince Hans had auburn hair that was a few shades darker than Anna's strawberry blonde, which extended into well-groomed sideburns down the sides of his face. His eyes were quite an unusual shade of green, and his face was well defined.

Hans came to a stop just before reaching Anna and myself. "My Queen," he said, before sinking into a deep bow. I gave him a graceful curtsy in return, while Anna attempted to copy me. Her stumble was hardly noticeable, which I was grateful for. Hans addressed me once again. "Word of your beauty has reached my land, my lady, but it has not done you justice. Indeed, you look most beautiful tonight."

"My Prince, you flatter me," I said, perfecting the light tone I was hoping to achieve. I was still completely unsure of Hans.

"My lady, my betrothed, my fiancée, would you do me the great honor of joining me in a dance to celebrate the beginning of our union?" Hans asked, holding his hand out to me. Hesitating for just a moment, I plastered a smile on my face and took his proffered hand. Dancing was definitely not one of my strong suits; I tended to avoid it as much as possible. However, Hans was a good leader, so I followed his steps and concentrated on not stepping on his toes.

Hans led me through countless dances, and all the while, we chatted about meaningless things. He spoke of his twelve older brothers, and how he liked to ride his horse and practice his swordsmanship. I spoke primarily of Anna and the memories we had created in the last three years in particular. I was sure Hans would not want to hear of how I had isolated myself from the world for ten years of my life.

Even though our talk was harmless, there was something off about Hans that I couldn't quite put my finger on. On the surface, he seemed like the perfect gentleman, but the longer I was in his presence, the more determined I was to get away. I convinced myself that I was still harboring nerves over the fact that Hans and I would be married within a matter of weeks.

After what had to have been almost an hour and a half on dancing with him, I finally decided to have the break that I so desperately craved. "My Prince, I think the heat of the ball is going to my head," I said with a light laugh, one that did not match up to my real laugh at all. "If you'll excuse me, I think I have need to step outside for a moment, just for some air."

"Certainly, my lady Queen Elsa," Hans replied immediately. "Do you wish for me to accompany you?"

"No, I will be perfectly fine," I responded, trying not to let my desperation to be alone seep through my words. "In perfect honesty, I would love for you to treat my sister, Princess Anna, to a dance or two. I would love for my sister and future husband to be well acquainted and get along before the wedding."

"Whatever you desire, my lady," Hans said. He kissed the back of my hand before he left, in search of Anna, who was mingling with some of the townspeople. As soon as I was sure Hans was not coming after me again, I moved as fast as I could onto the balcony that overlooked the fjord.

I did not want to be married. Though I held no animosity towards Hans, I surely did not love him, and could never love him in the time allotted to spend together before the wedding. I wanted to be free to make the choice for myself, to not be tied down to the traditions that had lasted since the founding of Arendelle. Even my own father had not completely abided by these rules. He was originally supposed to marry my mother's sister, but had chosen my mother instead. My aunt had gone on to become the queen of Corona, married to the king that she truly loved. My mother and father too were happy together. But that was not a choice for me. Since birth, my hand had been promised to a prearranged match.

I couldn't help the choked sob that forced its way out of my throat. A single tear was produced from that sob. The tear turned into a delicate snowflake on my face, and fell onto the railing beneath me.

"That's quite an interesting talent you have, Your Majesty," an unfamiliar voice to my right quipped. I jerked my head towards to voice, gasping when I saw the owner.

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**Let me know what you think! Reviews are always wonderful, and I appreciate any constructive criticism. Favorites and follows are always welcome. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**-E**


	2. I Wonder

**Hey guys! I want to thank the people who took time to favorite, follow, and review! All of that means so much to me. Here's the second chapter, and I hope you all like it.**

**-E**

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The person who had spoken was a stranger, that much was certain. I was sure that if I had seen this boy before, I would have remembered. He was at least a head taller than me, and had startlingly blue eyes that were very much like my own. But his most distinguishing feature was his snow-white hair. It was even lighter than my own blonde, but this man couldn't have been more than my own age of twenty-one. He was absolutely gorgeous.

"What did you see?" I asked him, still startled by his sudden presence on the balcony. It wasn't like it was forbidden from party goers, but I had specifically made sure that no one was here when I escaped the ball.

"Oh you know, just the little fact that your tear turned into a snowflake," the man said, with a little smirk on his face. "I didn't think it was that cold out here."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I stammered. The last thing I needed today was for this man to tell everyone about my power. I knew that most people would believe my word over his, but I didn't want anything close to an investigation. Acting on a whim, I turned around quickly to head back to the ball. I would get nowhere by arguing with this man. If he shot his mouth off, I could always call the guards.

"Wait, please, Your Majesty," the man said, grabbing my arm and spinning me back around. I gasped at his touch. Most people, like Anna and Hans, always seemed very warm to me, due to the cold nature my skin had because of my powers. This man was almost the exact same temperature as me, perhaps even slightly colder. I had never experienced that before.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, working hard to regain my regal composure. "I wish to know all of my subjects but if you are going to put my personal safety in danger, I will have no choice but to call the guards."

"I'm not going to hurt you," the man said, the grin slowly starting to reform. "My name is Jack, Jack Frost. My family and I just moved to Arendelle this week from Burgess. And you don't have to be afraid of your power around me."

"I don't have any powers, Mr. Frost," I retorted quickly, giving him an icy glare. "I do not know where you would get that ridiculous notion, but I can assure you that it's not true. Now, if you will please excuse me, I must return to the celebration. It is nearly time for it to be over, and I have to address the attendees." I tried once more to turn my back to this Jack Frost, but again he caught my arm.

"Please, Queen Elsa, it's okay," he pleaded, his eyes begging me to stay. "I told you, you don't have to hide what you can do in front of me." I was about to dispute him yet again when Jack held out his hand. In his palm, a large snowflake was forming. It was exactly like what I could do with my own powers, though his snowflake was slightly different from the one I always created when my emotions ran rampant.

My eyes darted to the doors to make sure that no one was watching, but Jack must have shut them when he had come out. I stared in amazement of the icy magic issuing from his hand. For years, I had thought that I alone had power over ice and snow. Now, this man standing in front of me was showing me that I was not, in fact, alone. Transfixed at the snowflake Jack had created, my hands slowly began pulling my gloves off.

"See, I can do it just like you," Jack said. His voice snapped me back into reality. I quickly jerked my glove back onto my hand, and straightened to my full height once again.

"I don't have any powers!" I all but shrieked. "Now, please leave me or I will call the guards." I didn't give Jack the option of pulling me back again. With a swish of my cape, I sauntered back into the party, trying to maintain control of my emotions. "Conceal, don't feel," I muttered to myself. It was the same mantra that my father had drilled into my head whenever my powers were at risk of going out of control. It still helped even after all these years.

"Elsa!" Anna's voice called out to me, and I turned in her direction. She was attempting to maneuver through the crowd to reach me, Prince Hans in her wake. "Gerda was looking for you," Anna said once she reached me. "She wanted to tell you that it was getting late and the party should be over soon, but she wanted to save one last dance for just you and Hans."

I smiled despite of the turmoil of emotions that were brewing inside me. "That would be lovely," I said, both to Anna and Hans. "Anna, can you please inform Gerda that her idea should be carried out immediately?" Anna nodded and scampered off again, leaving me alone with Hans.

"Are you feeling better, my lady?" he asked gently. I nodded, not trusting my voice. Thankfully, the guests began to clear the dance floor as the band began playing a slow, elegant waltz. Hans took me in his arms and we began a slow progression around the room.

I focused on Hans' face, trying my hardest not to concentrate on thoughts of Jack Frost. He and his miraculous powers had been on my mind ever since I had left him out on the balcony. I almost made it through the dance, until I saw him.

It was unmistakably the same person; who else had that shade of hair, those beautiful eyes? I tried to refocus my attention on Hans, but Jack's eyes drew me to him. He was watching me, that much was certain. I could feel his gaze throughout the entire rest of the dance.

Finally, the music came to a slow closure, and Hans kissed the back of my hand. Polite applause came from every corner in the room, but only I noticed the way Jack adopted a sour look on his face before inching closer to the door. I shook him out of my mind and Hans and I made our way towards my throne so I could address my citizens before we all retired.

"I would like to thank each and every one of you for joining myself and Princess Anna in welcoming my betrothed, Prince Hans, to Arendelle. As you know, in two weeks' time, he will be ruling alongside me as King of Arendelle. I am confident that he will rule with the same grace and wisdom as my late father. Again, thank you for coming, and I bid you all have a good night." My citizens bowed and curtsied to me, and then all began filing out the hall, while the lords and ladies who were staying in the castle made their way to their respective rooms. They would all be leaving on the morrow.

"Prince Hans, if you would follow Gerda, she will show you to your chambers," I said, motioning to Gerda. Hans nodded.

"Until tomorrow, my lady," he murmured, kissing my hand again before he followed Gerda out the hall. That left only myself and Anna left. She quickly ran up to me as we started towards our own bedchambers.

"Oh, Elsa, isn't he great?!" she sighed dreamily. "You guys were so cute when you were dancing together and he seems so nice! He certainly was kind to me when we danced. He was asking a bunch of questions about you as well, like what your favorite food was and things like that. He's going to be such a great husband Elsa! I'm so jealous. Do you like him?" she asked, pausing to take a few breaths.

"I don't know yet, Anna," I responded softly, causing her face to fall. "I certainly think that he's a very nice person, but I haven't known him long enough to say that I love him yet."

"Oh, you will, trust me!" Anna said, exuberance flooding every word. "He's going to be the best husband ever Elsa, just wait and see!" With that, she hugged me goodnight and proceeded to skip down the hall to her room. I watched her go with a small smile before I disappeared through the doors that had locked me in for ten years.

Once alone in my room, I quickly changed out of my dress and cape. I had been getting entirely too warm for my comfort. My nightclothes were made of a much lighter fabric that kept me cool. I laid myself in my bed, but my thoughts were too loud for me to get any rest.

Though I had been terrified of meeting my fiancé earlier today, Hans was the last thing on my mind. Instead, Jack Frost occupied my thoughts and refused to leave them. How could he have the same powers as me? Was he born with them too? Should I have given in to him and admitted I had powers when we met at the party?

I tossed and turned as I mulled these questions over in my head, never finding any answers. Grumbling to myself, I threw the sheets off my body and went over to my window. I threw the panes open and let the night's cold air wash over me, relaxing my body.

I closed my eyes and placed my hands on the windowsill. I breathed deeply a few times, all while chanting my mantra over and over in my head. _'Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show.'_

I opened my eyes, feeling refreshed, but made the mistake of looking down at my hands, and to my horror, I saw that the entire windowsill was covered in a thin layer of ice. Taking my hands off like they had been burned, I held them close to my body, searching for my gloves. I found them on my vanity and pulled them on. My emotions were out of control tonight, and if I didn't wear my gloves, I could accidentally freeze over my entire room. It was the middle of summer, so the ice should melt off the window before the day ended tomorrow. I would be safe.

Tentatively, I walked back over to my window, to survey the damage. The ice crept up to cover the glass, and the hinges were entirely frozen. I couldn't close the window panes.

"So, you don't have any powers, huh?" a voice from my right said. I let out a loud scream as I turned. Jack Frost was just outside my window, floating in midair.

"How-how are you d-doing that?" I shrieked, losing all composure. "Why are you here? Are you following me? Because if you are, I can have the guards arrest you, and I mean it!"

"Woah, no need to arrest me, Your Majesty," Jack said, holding up his hands as he flew in my bedroom, resting his feet on the ground. "I just wanted to show you that you aren't alone anymore. And, well, to make sure that I wasn't just seeing things. I guess I kind of wanted reassurance that _I_ wasn't alone anymore either…" he mumbled.

"Please, don't tell anyone about this," I whispered. "My kingdom would lose all trust in me if they knew I had these crazy powers. They would think I was a-a monster." I had to choke out the last few words. Ever since I had hurt Anna, during my darkest days I would think of myself as a monster. It took years of my parents consoling me to convince me that I wasn't.

"Relax, your secrets safe with me," Jack said. I let out an audible sigh of relief before I turned and looked up at him shyly.

"So, you really mean I'm not alone?"

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**Jack is finally here! I have to admit, I really love writing about Jack. He's just so much fun and is so similar to Elsa, but so different at the same time. What will happen now that she has admitted she had powers? Please review with anything you'd like to say, and I'll be back soon.**

**-E**


	3. Part of Your World

**Hey guys! I know it's been a long wait, but I went on vacation and went camping, and I only had WiFi maybe two nights of that time. Instead, I give you lots of Jelsa in this chapter! On a different note, since Jack is not the Winter Spirit in this story, I decided to age him up to twenty-one so he could be the same age as Elsa. I hope you like it and please review!**

**-E**

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"I mean it," Jack said, smiling now that I had calmed down. "I had no idea that you could do the same thing until I saw you on the balcony however. What I really wanted to do was introduce myself, and in way, my family."

"Well, now I know who you are," I muttered. "How come your family wasn't out on the balcony with you if you wished to introduce them?"

"My sister is sick, so my mother stayed home to take care of her," Jack said. "I was the only one that was able to come to the ball. But please, let me formally introduce myself. I had the whole thing planned out and I would hate for my efforts to go to waste." Jack's smile widened even further as he sunk into an exaggerated bow. "Jackson Overland Frost, at your service milady."

I couldn't suppress a giggle that escaped from my lips. Jack's dramatic way of doing things was amusing to me; it almost reminded me of Anna in a way. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle at your service, my good sir," I answered him, curtseying with a smile. "Now, what is the full extent of your powers? I noticed you were flying earlier, and I most certainly cannot do that. Do you have complete control of them?"

"I've always been able to ask the wind to take me where I want to go," Jack said in an easy, comfortable tone. "Other than that, I just create snow and ice. I used to like creating fun snow days for the kids back in Burgess, and I was planning on doing the same in Arendelle now that I live here. As for control… well, for the most part I can control them. They can get out of hand if my emotions start overpowering my better judgment. My mother has always known about my powers, and she had helped as much as she can, but it really made it easier when my sister found out a few years ago. She's so supportive of me, and I love her so much that she can calm me down if my powers are getting out of control."

"What about your father?" I inquired further. "Does he know anything about your powers?"

Jack's smile suddenly fell from his face, and I instantly knew I had said something wrong. "No, my father doesn't know," he said moodily. "After I was born he left my mom for years. She raised me on her own, until he showed up again eight years ago. He pretended to want to be involved in our lives again. I was thirteen at the time. But once my sister was born, he did the same thing and left again. At least this time I was able to help my mom raise my sister, so she wasn't completely on her own. I'm twenty-one now."

"I'm sorry I brought up a painful topic," I murmured in what I hoped was a satisfactory apologetic tone. "Please excuse my rudeness. I should not have been so forward with you."

"Don't worry," Jack said, grinning once again. "And you don't have to be so formal around me. I mean, we have the same powers. Doesn't that kind of cross most boundaries?"

"Well, it's true that you're the only one that knows about them," I said slowly. "But the only ones I'm ever able to be myself around are my sister and some of the servants I've known my whole life. I will try my best to be loose, Jack, but please understand if I slip up occasionally."

"No worries," Jack assured me. "I'm just glad you're beginning to be more comfortable around me. I actually thought I had a good chance of getting arrested when I showed up here, but it was a chance I was willing to take. I had to know if you and I had the same powers." As he spoke, and idea popped into my mind. I wasn't quite sure that I could trust Jack yet, but he seemed friendly enough… and he seemed to have a much better control on his powers than I did.

"Jack," I began, still a bit uncertain. "Do you… do you think that you might be able to teach me how to control my powers? The last time that I used them around other people, I almost killed my sister. Now that I am to be married, I am not positive I will be able to hide them from my husband-to-be. And I definitely do not wish to kill him accidentally."

A dark look passed over Jack's face when I mentioned my impending marriage, but it was so quick that I decided I must have imagined it. Instead, he nodded. "Yeah, I'll help as much as I can. In fact, we can teach each other. I'm sure that you know how to do some things that I can't and vice versa."

"Thank you," I whispered, my entire being grateful. I was terrified of hurting Hans once we were married, or especially Anna again. If Jack could truly teach me how to gain control over my powers, perhaps some of the fear that had lived in my heart for thirteen years would disappear. One could only hope.

"No problem," Jack answered. "Let's go right now. I can show you a couple things."

"Right now?" I asked, suddenly confused. It was the middle of the night. Why in the world would Jack want to start working with me now? I wasn't even dressed properly. "Jack, it's the middle of the night. Do you really think now is the best time to start this?" voicing my concerns.

"Yeah, I do," Jack said. "I mean, you're probably busy all day with queenly duties and things like that. And besides, you seem to consider it very important that no one finds out about your powers. Practicing at night would give us the best cover, as less people are likely to be out and about." I had to admit he had a point.

Still, I hesitated. Ever since I hurt Anna, I had never, not once, done anything risky, or even used my powers on purpose. Even after my parents died, I strived to prove that I could be the best daughter, the best queen that I could be, even with my powers. I was a good girl, I followed the rules, did everything that was asked of me. This would be breaking all of the boundaries I had imposed upon myself.

Jack noticed my hesitation. Slowly, as though he didn't want to frighten me, he held out his hand to me. "Come with me," he persuaded in a gentle, low voice. Taking a deep breath to steel myself, I ignored all thoughts that were telling me that I was taking far too big of a risk and grabbed Jack's hand.

"You better hold on tight, my Queen," Jack grinned. Before I could ask what he meant, he proclaimed, "Wind! Take me to the glen at the edge of the woods!" The winds immediately picked up speed around us and before I could register what was happening, I was literally swept off my feet.

Being so unprepared for this flight, I screamed, and instinctively clutched Jack around the shoulders in a vice-like grip. In response, he chuckled in my ear. "Relax, I'm not going to drop you," he laughed. His voice did nothing to ease my fears, so I closed my eyes and didn't relax my rigid body. I didn't move a muscle until I felt Jack's feet touch the ground. Only at that point did I realize that I had wrapped my legs around his waist to make myself feel more secure.

I quickly unwrapped my legs and barely caught myself before I tumbled to the ground after my sudden dismount. I didn't want to say anything about what had just happened, but I could feel my cheeks burning with a slight blush. "So, are we going to get started?" I asked, attempting to diffuse the awkward situation that was hanging in the air.

"Yeah, let's go!" Jack enthused. He ran towards the trees, and only then did I take notice of the gorgeous glen that we were standing in. It was small, and surrounded by trees that gave the glen a very enclosed feel. But when I glanced up, I could see every star in the sky, and for a moment, I felt carefree for the first time in thirteen years.

Turning my attention back to Jack, I noticed that he had created a mass of snowballs and sorted them into a neat pile beside him. "Come on, Your Majesty, you're not going to win a snowball fight without any ammo!" he called.

"Jack… I haven't had snowball fight since I was eight years old," I said nervously, wringing my hands together. "What if I hit you with my powers?"

"Don't worry," Jack said, quickly walking over to where I was standing. "You won't hurt me. I know you won't. Besides, I have the same powers as you, so there is nothing to worry about. I'll be fine. The first thing I'm going to teach you is to have _fun_, even with your powers." The whole time he was speaking, Jack looked straight into my eyes, making me want to believe every word he said. "Now, get ready!" he exclaimed, running back over to his pile of snowballs and creating a simple fort for himself with a wave of his hand.

I told myself that I couldn't hurt Jack. I wouldn't be directly firing my magic at him like I had done with Anna so many years ago. There was no risk. Filling my mind with these thoughts, I removed the gloves from my hands and dropped them on the ground. With a tentative flick of my wrist, I created about the same amount of snowballs as Jack. Feeling slightly more confident, I also created a fort for myself, and picked up a snowball in my hand, preparing to throw it. Jack was giving me an encouraging grin, so to show him that I was ready to begin, I threw my first snowball straight into his face. He stumbled a bit, which almost caused me to run over to him in a panic to make sure he wasn't hurt, but he wiped the snow off his face and I saw that he was still grinning.

"It's on!" he called, and with that he began to hurl his snowballs at me in rapid succession, using his powers to propel them forward, all the while replenishing his ammunition. I was forced to duck behind my fort to avoid being pelted with snowballs. I didn't want to use my powers to throw my own snowballs at Jack, but once he began manipulating the snowballs to hit me from above, I decided that I was not going to sit and cower, but fight back.

After a brief reprieve from Jack's assault, I quickly created a gigantic mass of snow and held it above my head with my powers. I peeked my head above my fort to look for Jack, but couldn't find him.

After a moment of careful searching, I found him scaling the tree next to me, clearly meaning to shake some of the snow that had amassed on the branches onto me. I hurled the snow at him, which moved at lightning speed now that is was propelled by my powers. It knocked Jack out of the tree, who caught himself with the wind before he hit the ground. He shot me a wicked grin as he too created a snowball that was even larger that my previous one. I was forced to block the onslaught with a wall on pure ice.

What I really wanted to do was create a snowball above Jack and have it drop on him, but I was still frightened of accidentally hitting him directly with my powers in the process. Instead, I settled for creating more small snowballs at my side and send them, one after the other, in Jack's direction, while he attacked me in a similar manner.

Our snowball fight must have lasted for hours, though it seemed to pass very quickly to me. I only noticed how much time had really passed when I noticed that it was progressively getting lighter in the glen. I glanced up, and with a yelp, noticed that the sun was beginning to rise. "Jack, I have to get back to the castle!" I yelled towards him.

Jack had been floating in midair again, arm poised to aim a force of snowballs at me from above. He stopped at my words and glanced toward the sky, and seemed to notice for the first time how long we had really been here. I looked down, and barely suppressed a groan when I noticed the kind of state I was in. My nightclothes were a mess from the amount of snow that had beaten them, and my hair had come halfway undone from the braid I had put it in for bed. I also registered how fatigued I was, seeing as I had gotten no sleep whatsoever.

As Jack hovered lightly to the ground, I searched for my gloves and found them half-buried under a mountain of snow. I picked them up and siphoned the snow off of them with my powers before tugging them back on my hands. "I have to get back to the castle before the servants or Anna notice that I'm missing," I told him, starting to panic again. What if we didn't get back in time and they started searching for me? What if someone spotted Jack bringing me back to the castle and thought that I was being unfaithful to Hans?

"I'll get you back in time," Jack said, as if reading my thoughts. He held out his hand again, and this time I managed to get a firm grip on his shoulders before he became airborne. I also forced my legs not to curl around his waist, even though I felt much less secure that way. Jack put his arms around my own waist, and I was incredibly aware of them the entire way back to the palace.

My window was still open, and though it was still laced with ice, I could tell that the heat of the sun was slowly thawing it. Jack flew into the middle of my room and gently set us down on the rug.

"I'm pleased to tell you that you exceeded expectations on your first lesson, my Queen," Jack said. Suddenly shy from his praise, I lowered my eyes from his face. Now that the playful fight was over, I acknowledged once again how insanely good-looking Jack happened to be, especially now that I knew how sweet and nice he was. I reminded myself over and over than I was betrothed to Hans, who was handsome and kind as well, but a small voice in the back of my mind kept saying that Hans couldn't hold a candle next to Jack.

"Thank you for taking the time to help me, Jack," I murmured, whilst pulling the hair that remained in a braid out of its band. I ran my hand lightly through the blonde tresses to blend my hair together. I glanced up for a moment and noticed that Jack seemed transfixed at my movements. Self-conscious once again, I dropped my hand and cleared my throat awkwardly. That seemed to snap Jack back into reality.

"I'll come see you again soon so we can arrange our next lesson, my Queen," Jack said in a much softer tone than his usual playful one. He walked to the window and prepared himself for flight again. In a sudden stroke of realization, I noticed that Jack had never, not once, called me by my name. He always used formal titles like 'Your Majesty' or 'my Queen' when addressing me.

"Jack," I called just before he ascended. He looked back the moment his name left my lips. "Please, call me Elsa," I said, before my boldness fled me.

He smiled at me again, but in a different way than all the smiles he had given me tonight. "I can do that, Elsa," he said, my name rolling off of his tongue as though belonged there, before he took off, flying into the rays of early dawn.

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**I hoped you liked that chapter! I have lots more planned for this story, including a ton of drama that is going to come into play soon. Thanks so much for reading and supporting this story, and don't forget to leave a review!**

**-E**


	4. You've Got A Friend In Me

**So, this was a pretty fun chapter to right, and it came out of nowhere. I originally had something totally different planned, but this just sort of came to me, and was much better than my first idea. Without further ado, I will let you get on to the chapter, and I hope you like it!**

**-E**

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After Jack left, I attempted to lie down and get a bit of sleep before Gerda or Kai came to get me ready for the day. However, sleep refused to come to me. My mind was completely occupied with thoughts of Jack. I found myself looking forward to our next lesson, whenever that might be.

It seemed as though I had just crawled under the covers when Anna came bounding into my room. "Elsa wake up!" she called excitedly. "You won't believe what we get to do today!" she continued, jumping up on my bed. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes so that Anna didn't think I'd been up the whole night.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, making sure to make my voice extra groggy. "Why are you even up this early? You usually sleep in until noon if you can."

"Oh, I couldn't sleep in today!" Anna enthused. Her exuberant manner reminded me of Jack in a way; there were certainly similarities between the two of them. "Gerda told me that today we're going to choose and get you fitted for your wedding dress, and you can select my bridesmaid's dress. Isn't that exciting?!"

A wedding dress? Already? I had just met Hans yesterday, and already they wanted me to pick out a dress for our wedding. I had to remind myself that now there were only thirteen days until the wedding. Suddenly, with that realization, all of the fears that had disappeared when I was with Jack came back to hit me, full force. I remembered that I wasn't allowed to get to know my husband-to-be before we were married.

"Why aren't you excited Elsa?" Anna asked. I realized that I had been sitting there, lost in thought, definitely not giving Anna the response she was looking for. "We've been dreaming about this day our whole lives. We used to talk about what our wedding dresses would look like when we little, remember that?"

Despite of my feelings, I couldn't help but smile. "Of course I remember that Anna," I responded. "Just give me a few moments to wake up." Anna climbed off my bed, and I stretched my arms out over my head. Quickly, I pulled my hair back into my usual bun, and put my feet on the floor. I pulled one of my more casual dresses, a light green one, to wear for the day. The moment I was done, Anna grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. She bounded down the hallway where Gerda was waiting for us, and I was forced to run to keep up with my exuberant sister.

Gerda sank into a quick curtsey when Anna and I reached her. "Your Majesty, I hope you will not object to eating breakfast while your sister is fitted for your wedding. We thought that she could go first, while you ate, and then we could find your own dress. Kai is fitting Prince Hans into his own attire for the wedding, so you will not be seeing him until dinner, I am afraid."

"It sounds like the perfect plan, Gerda," I replied. "Thank you for arranging this for me. It does make things easier." I knew that I could trust the majority of the wedding planning to Gerda's more than capable hands. She had been serving my family so long that she had even planned my parent's wedding. She and Anna would be there to advise me every step of the way, and for that I was beyond grateful.

Gerda led us into one of the many spare rooms we had, and this one had dresses hanging everywhere. One wall displayed dresses with a myriad of colors, while the other was pure white. With a jolt, I realized that the kingdoms finest seamstresses had not sewn just one, but at least ten dresses for me, and the same number for Anna, each.

"The first thing is deciding what color you wish for Anna to wear," Gerda said, while handing me a plate of breakfast. I delicately sat onto a comfortable couch that was in the room.

"Whatever color Anna wants to wear is fine with me," I answered before beginning my meal. Anna put her hands on her hips.

"Elsa, this is your wedding day," she reminded me. "You get to pick everything. You put me in what you want, and if it's something awful, I'll just repay you on my wedding day!" I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Blue," I said, still with a smile on my face. Blue was my favorite color, and it was a good shade for Anna. She and Gerda immediately went to the blue dresses and started pulling a few out. Before Anna even tried them on, they wanted my opinion on them.

Eventually, Anna only ended up trying on three dresses. I immediately knew that the third one was what Anna needed to wear. The skirt was a dark blue, while the bodice was a lighter shade. There were short, off the shoulder sleeves that were the same color as the bodice. "Oh, Elsa it's beautiful!" Anna said while twirling around in the dress. "I love it!" I was happy that Anna loved the dress so much, but dread was back in the pit of my stomach. It was my turn now.

Gerda put in my dress after dress after dress. They were lovely, but something just wasn't right about them. Anna took my seat on the couch, and she often voiced her opinion about how she thought a new dress was 'the one', but I couldn't see myself getting married in any of them. The sun rose, and eventually started to set in the sky. Kai came in to tell us that dinner was ready, but I still hadn't found the right dress. I told Anna she could eat, but she insisted on staying with me.

Finally, just as I was giving up hope on ever finding the right dress, Gerda put me in one with a bodice embellished with a few crystals, but not too many to be overwhelming. The skirt was of a light material that flowed even without breeze, but didn't look wrinkled. It had a very beach-like feel. But what made this dress so memorable was the lace. The back was entirely made of sheer fabric, with lacey designs, and it continued over my shoulders, resulting in short sleeves, and reaching all the way down just past my collarbone. The lace stopped just short of my neck, which I liked. I didn't want to be wearing a turtleneck dress.

"Elsa, that's it! I mean it this time!" Anna exclaimed. I myself was too stunned for words when I saw my reflection in the mirror. All I could do was nod in agreement with my sister. Gerda clapped her hands.

"Oh, we've finally found it," she said in a relieved tone. She was busy making sure that all the measurements of the dress were correct, and to my amazement, they were. The dress fit in every aspect, and even went well with the gloves I'd already selected to wear. They were white, and reached all the way up to my elbows. I reached for them, and to my delight, found they went perfectly with the dress.

"Gerda, who designed this?" I asked once she had finished checking the measurements. "I want to thank her for designing this exquisite piece."

"It's a lady that just moved here recently," Gerda replied. "This was the only dress she sent in, just two days ago as well. I must admit, I had my doubts about showing it to you, but now I see that it truly is perfect. Her name is Heidi Frost."

I couldn't even stop the gasp that came unbidden to my lips. Frost was by no means a common family name, and based on what Gerda said about her just moving here, I was certain this Heidi Frost was none other than Jack's mother. Still, I told myself that I was going to thank whoever had made this dress for me. Her being Jack's mother changed nothing. I was going to be very professional, that was all.

Gerda helped me remove the wedding dress and while she put it away, I put the green one back on. I left the room, meaning to see Heidi Frost before it got too dark. Kai was waiting at the end of the hall. "Your Majesty, Prince Hans is in the dinner hall. He wished to wait until you were ready so that he could dine with you."

"Thank you, but can you please tell Prince Hans that I will not be available for dinner this evening? I wish to thank the woman who made my dress personally, and there is not much sunlight left. I would hate for the Prince to wait this long. Please give him my most sincere regrets." Kai nodded and bowed while I made my way to the front of the castle. Other servants were there, to escort me to my destination.

It took a while to find the Frost's house, and when we did, I was astonished to see nothing more than a small abode, which couldn't have more than three rooms. "Can you please wait outside?" I asked my servants before knocking. They nodded, but told me to holler if I needed them. I agreed, and, steeling myself, raised my hand and knocked at the door three times. A few moments later, it was opened by a girl who was no older than eight.

"Who are you?" she asked interestedly, and then went into a fit of intense coughing. I was startled, and at a complete loss of what to do. I just waited there awkwardly until she was finished.

"My name is Queen Elsa, and I wish to speak with Heidi Frost. Is she here?" I inquired.

Before the girl could answer, a familiar voice melodically entered my ears. "Rebekka, you're supposed to be resting," Jack said as he came around the corner. Suddenly, he looked up and saw me. "Oh," he muttered before sinking into a clumsy bow. "My Queen," he said. I could only hope he was just using the formalities at the sight of the guards behind him.

"Hello, I'm looking for Heidi Frost. Is she your mother?" I asked once again.

"Uh, yeah, she's in the back," Jack said, stumbling over his words. "Come in, please, my Queen." I thanked Jack and then followed him into the small house.

Jack picked up his sister, who had started coughing again. "This is Rebekka," he said over the noise. After the introduction, a woman in who looked to be no older than her late thirties came through a small vestibule, with no door, polishing a pan with a dirty cloth. "And that's my mother," Jack said, gesturing with his elbow.

"Jack?" Heidi asked. "Who is this?"

"My name is Queen Elsa," I said, introducing myself. Heidi hastily sunk into a curtsey, dropping her rag on the floor. "Please, there is no need," I immediately told her. She rose with a confused expression. "Today, I was in the process of selecting a wedding dress," I explained. "I decided to wear the one that you created, and I wanted to thank you in person… and invite your entire family to the event as my personal guests."

"Oh my," Heidi muttered, sinking down into the only couch in the room. "This is quite unexpected, Your Majesty," she said. "I certainly didn't expect my dress to be chosen for you. Oh, Jack, why didn't you tell me she was coming? I could've prepared something for her to eat."

"I didn't know she was coming!" Jack protested, and at the same I assured Heidi she didn't need to do anything more for me; the dress was enough. Before Heidi could respond to either of us, Rebekka started coughing again, and Heidi jumped out of the couch while Jack set her down gently.

"If I might ask," I started hesitantly, "what is she sick with? Perhaps I could do something to help."

"She has a fever and a cold, we think," Heidi answered uncertainly. "I'm doing all that I can, trust me," she said a bit defensively, as though I was questioning her competency to be a parent.

"I don't doubt that," I assured her. "I'm just thinking that maybe she needs trained medical attention. I would be happy to have my personal physician take a look at her. Perhaps he can come up with a diagnosis and prescribe something to help her."

Heidi looked too stunned to say anything for a moment. She put her hand over her heart and mouthed wordlessly. Jack and I looked at her, waiting with baited breath. Finally, she spoke. "You're doing so much for me," she whispered. "I don't know you, and you could be saving my daughter's life. I didn't have the necessary medicine for her, I-I couldn't afford it. But this will change our lives. I thank you so much, Your Majesty, for everything."

"It's no problem," I said with a smile. "I was beginning to think that I'd never find that dress. And besides, you all seem like lovely people. I would hate to think of leaving Rebekka knowing I could have helped. I genuinely want to do this."

Heidi could only murmur her stunned thanks after that. After a few moments, Jack offered to show me to the door. "I'll be by later tonight," he whispered so that his mother and sister couldn't hear.

"I look forward to it," I told him with a small smile. He smiled back as he held the door open for me. I inclined my head at him as I rejoined my guards. We made short time getting back to the castle. I had a quick dinner, said goodnight to Anna and Hans (making a show of an apology for the latter), and headed to my room.

I was exhausted, after not getting sleep for almost two full days now, but I was determined to wait until Jack came. After taking my hair fully down and changing into nightclothes, I laid in bed, with my now-melted window wide open. I rested, but always listened for Jack.

It didn't take long for him to come. I heard him fly through the window, and stared as he landed on the ground. I hurriedly climbed out of my bed to greet him, but he rushed at me and threw his arms around me. "Thank you," he whispered in a choked up way, the same way Heidi had done previously.

I stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to respond to a hug. After a few minutes, Jack released me, but kept one hand on my shoulder. "Elsa, you're giving my sister her life. My mom and I thought she might die once we saw how bad she was getting today. But if your physician can help heal her, I don't know how I could ever say thank you."

"Like I said, I was happy to do it," I told him. "But you can thank me by continuing to give me lessons, though perhaps not tonight," I said with a small grin.

Jack smiled, and on his face was an expression of true happiness. "Count on it Elsa," he said. He gave me another unprecedented hug. After a moment, I hesitantly returned it, patting his back with one of my hands. When Jack let go, he flew out of my window once more. As I went back to bed and pulled the blankets over me, I thought I heard him shout with joy into the night.

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**So, now we've met Jack's family! Don't worry, they will be appearing in my story again. Next chapter, Elsa is going to have some issues with Hans, as well as struggling with her feelings towards Jack. I hope you liked it, and don't forget to review!**

**-E**


	5. Kiss The Girl

**Sorry for being gone for a while, but a trip to Disneyworld got in the way of writing as much as I would have liked. On the bright side, I was able to meet Elsa, and Disneyworld inspired a whole bunch of ideas in this story! Kristoff is going to be introduced in the chapter, and I have a fun little treat for Kristanna fans. I hope you like the new chapter!**

**-E**

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The next few days flew by in a blur. Hans and I were dragged through a series of events all geared towards our wedding such as cake tasting, selecting wines, and finalizing a guest list. I also had my queenly duties to take care of as well, so by the time I departed for bed I was so exhausted that I could barely even keep my eyes open long enough to put on my nightclothes.

Rebekka came in to see my physician most days, but she was always escorted by Heidi. My physician had said that Rebekka had been on the verge of developing pneumonia, and that by intervening when I did, I literally saved Rebekka's life. I hadn't seen Jack since the night I visited his family. I meant to inquire about him when I saw Heidi, but Hans was always with me. I didn't want to appear too interested in front of Hans.

Rebekka, however, was a different story. Whenever she would come, I would check up on her to make sure my physician was doing his job. I could see the life come back into Rebekka. She was an animated little girl, and I could see that she and Jack had much of the same fun-loving spirit. She was also a total sweetheart, always commenting on how pretty I looked. Anna spent some time with her as well, and it was clear the little girl had an effect on both of us. She was hard not to love. Still, she reminded me so much of Jack, and I found myself wishing for his company more and more every day.

However, one day, as Hans and I were in the process of selecting the main courses for the extravagant dinner we were to have, Gerda came up and told me that Rebekka was here for another session. I went up to see her, Hans following after me. To my great astonishment, I found it was not Heidi who led Rebekka by the hand, but Jack.

Jack's eyes grew wide when he saw me approach. "My Queen," he said, bowing once again.

"Mr. Frost, it's alright," I told him with a small smile. "You need not bow every time you see me. Your little sister doesn't anymore." That was true, but only because Rebekka saw me almost every day. I'd only just gotten Heidi to stop curtseying in my presence.

"My dear, who is this?" Hans asked, stepping forward.

"Oh, I apologize for not making proper introductions," I stated. "Hans, this is Jack Frost, Rebekka's older brother. I met him at the party when you first came to Arendelle. Mr. Frost, this is Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, my betrothed."

"Pleasure to meet you," Hans said, extending his hand out toward Jack. The formalities were nice and polite, but I couldn't help but notice a tightness in Hans' jaw, and Jack certainly didn't look happy either. Their handshake was as short as possible, and both of them were gripping rather harder than necessary, as though trying to break each other's fingers.

Thankfully, we were all spared any more awkwardness that might have arisen. At that moment, Kai was escorting a man, who was delicately holding an exquisite ice statue of a swan. The man had slightly long, ashy blonde hair, was tall, and had weird, almost pear-shaped, square-shaped feet. Anna was trailing behind him. She had her eyes fixated on this new man. Her expression was of pure attraction. I caught her eye for a moment and raised my eyebrow at her. Anna grinned at me, shrugged, and continued to watch the man. "My Queen, this is Kristoff Bjorgman. He is here to deliver the ice sculpture you requested for the wedding," Kai explained.

"It is a pleasure, Kristoff," I told the man. Jack and Rebekka were led to the physician by Gerda, while Kai showed Kristoff into the ballroom to direct him where to put the ice sculpture. While this was taking place, Anna discreetly slid up to my side. "Hey Elsa, as maid of honor, do you think I could request a favor?" she asked.

"Does this favor have anything to do with Kristoff?" I asked with a smile. Anna blushed and a shy grin took over her lips.

"Well, would you completely object to inviting him to the wedding?" she asked, a slight pleading coating her words. "I mean, he made the ice sculpture and all, so I just thought it would be a nice gesture to give him an invitation, you know, to show your gratitude-"

"Anna!" I said rather forcefully to cut her off. "Right now, Kai is extending an invitation. I am giving every single one of the helpers, and their families, a chance to come to the wedding to show my thanks, and Hans' as well. You don't need to worry," I assured her.

"Oh, Elsa, you're the best sister ever!" Anna exclaimed. I could see that she was trying not to jump up and down at my news.

"Why the sudden interest?" I inquired.

"Well, I was outside when he came here, and we started talking before Kai opened the door," Anna explained. "Apparently, he loves ice, has a reindeer named Sven, and he just seemed really nice. After you were talking about knowing our people on a personal level, I deiced that, as princess, I should follow your example. I decided that Kristoff would make a good friend. And it helps that he's totally gorgeous… wait, what?" She muttered the last part, and I pretended like I didn't hear it. If something got out of hand with Anna and Kristoff, I would instantly step in to protect her, but she was at perfect liberty to think someone was attractive. _After all, I thought Jack was the most attractive person I had ever seen…_ a small part in the back of my head told me.

No. I wasn't allowed to think about Jack in that way. Every day was coming closer to my wedding, and I needed to put thoughts of Jack aside, and focus on Hans. Jack was to be my instructor, nothing more.

At that moment, Kristoff reappeared out of the ballroom. "I'm going to have to respectfully deny attendance at the wedding," he told me gruffly. I didn't have to hear Anna's shocked gasp to know that she was crushed.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "If there is anything you are objecting to, don't hesitate to speak with me, and I will be sure to do all in my power to make sure accommodations are to your liking."

"I just don't feel comfortable at fancy things," Kristoff muttered. Before I could utter another word, Anna cut me off.

"What if I offered to stay with you for most of the party?" she asked quickly. "I mean, then at least you would be around someone that you know and you wouldn't have to be uncomfortable the whole night. Please, please, please say yes?" Anna put on her puppy-dog eyes and bit her lip lightly, clearly begging. Kristoff was clearly taken aback. I could tell he didn't know how to respond.

"Uh…" he muttered. After a few more moments he let out a huge sigh. "I guess I could go," he said grudgingly. Anna squealed in excitement.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. Kristoff nodded to her, and then Kai and Anna led him out. As soon as they were out of the room, Hans turned to me.

"I don't like that Jack Frost," he said bitterly. "I don't trust him, and I don't like the way he looks at you. I don't want him coming to the wedding."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question," I said in an icy tone. "He and his family are my own personal guests. In case you have forgotten, it was his mother that created my wedding dress. So, I beg you, whatever misgivings you have about Jack, put them aside. He will be at the wedding, along with Heidi and Rebekka."

Hans glared at me. I had never seen this look on his face before, and it shocked me. Until now, Hans had never been anything less than the perfect gentleman. But this glare was unnerving me, and I didn't know why.

After what seemed to be the longest time, Hans finally relented. "Fine," he grumbled, and then abruptly left the room. That left me alone to deal with some very confused feelings of mine. I didn't want any drama during these stressful days, so I decided to put them away and sort them all out after the wedding. After all, it wasn't like I couldn't expect Hans to never get angry. I was sure we would have fights in the future, but nothing too bad would ever become of them.

I decided to go and check on Rebekka and how she was progressing. With any luck, she would be discharged from care soon. I wanted nothing more than for her to be at full health. When I reached her, she seemed to be at the end of her visit. She was telling Jack all about how she couldn't wait for the wedding. Jack smiled back at her, but the smile didn't reach his eyes at all.

I cleared my throat and both siblings looked up. I beckoned Jack closer so that I could speak with him, both about his sister and about continuing our lessons. I couldn't afford to put them off any longer, not with the wedding coming ever closer.

"How is she doing?" I asked in an undertone.

"This is supposed to be her last visit, provided she rests up at home," Jack replied, grinning down at me. "And it would seem as though I owe you another lesson in thanks for saving my sister's life. Does tonight work for you?"

"I was just about to ask you about that, actually," I told him brightly. "I definitely need more work, and I was hoping you could start teaching me how to control my powers, even if my gloves aren't on."

"I'll see what I can do," Jack said. Though he didn't say anything else, he continued to gaze into my eyes with his own icy orbs. I knew that I needed to remove myself from the situation, knew that I wasn't allowed to see Jack in any other way than an instructor, but his eyes were almost hypnotizing. I couldn't pull myself away. "Elsa," he breathed ever so softly, saying my name like it was a prayer on his lips.

"Jack! I'm ready!" Rebekka exclaimed. This broke the both of us out of our reverie, and we quickly blinked and looked to Rebekka.

"That's great news, Bekka!" Jack said, easily recovering. He picked up his sister, and all the light was back in his features. I couldn't help but to smile; the way Jack interacted with his sister was endearing. "I expect we will see you at the wedding, Queen Elsa," Jack told me, with the barest of winks. "Thank you once again for the care Rebekka has received."

"It was my pleasure," I told them. "Take care of yourselves. I look forward to the next time I can see you. Give Heidi my fondest regards." Jack promised that he would, and then he left with Rebekka. Trying very much not to think of the moment that had transpired between the two of us, I attacked the rest of the day with renewed vigor, so as to keep my mind busy.

**~TPGIG~**

"Again," Jack instructed. I was supposed to be holding a rock without getting any ice or frost on it for a solid minute. I did alright at first, until I looked over at Jack. Then, try as I might to suppress them, my powers flared up. We were running out of rocks to practice on in our little glen. It was the same one that we had used when we had our snowball fight.

I picked up another rock, trying to keep my mind blank, looking anywhere but Jack. I also tried to force the thoughts of the wedding out of my mind, but of course the harder I tried to ignore them, the more prominent they were in my thoughts. I concentrated as hard as I could, but for what seemed like the thousandth time that night, I felt the ice crawl up the rock.

I dropped it as though it had burned me, and couldn't help a cry of distress to escape. At the noise, Jack came over, and I was sure it was to scold me.

"Hey, it's alright," he comforted. I looked up at him, confused. "You have the ability to do this. It's all in your head right now," he assured. "Don't concentrate on it so much. Don't think. It should all come naturally."

"I'm not thinking!" I spluttered. "I keep trying to clear my thoughts of anything that might trigger emotions from me, but they always find a way to come back."

"Well, that's your problem Elsa," Jack said, smiling at me a bit. "You can't ignore your thoughts. You have to accept them, without being scared of them. If you're scared of your power, you'll never be able to control it."

His words reminded me of what Pabbie had told me so long ago. _Fear will be your enemy_. But ever since I had hurt Anna, I had always feared my power. I couldn't help it. Nevertheless, I took one more rock Jack offered me. Centering myself, I let all the thoughts I had wash over me, like Jack had suggested. I made peace with them, telling myself that the events of the wedding were going to pass, and that I had best make the most of the situation instead of trying to pretend like it didn't exist. I also kept my breathing steady, using all techniques I knew to keep myself calm.

"That's it Elsa!" Jack's exclamation startled me so much that I dropped the rock. To my astonishment, I saw that it was completely free of all ice. I stared down at in in wonder. "Elsa, that was a whole two minutes," Jack informed me. "That was above all expectations. We'll try it again soon, but I think you've done enough for tonight." My body was tired and my mind was drained of all energy, so I accepted Jack's proposal gratefully and put my arms around his neck, preparing for the flight back. His flying hadn't taken me by as much shock as it initially had, but I still wasn't one hundred percent comfortable with it.

It was a short trip back through my open bedroom window. Jack set me down gracefully before his own feet touched the ground. "Elsa, you did great tonight, trust me," he told me again. "Now that we touched on the problem, it should be easier in the future for you to control it."

"Thank you for taking the time to teach me Jack," I said softly, meaning every word. Jack nodded in response, never taking his eyes from mine. It felt like a replay of what had happened earlier in the day was going to take place, but I couldn't allow it to. "Jack," I warned.

Before I could utter another word, Jack lurched forward, pressing his cold lips to my own.

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**Yes, I know, I'm evil for leaving it there. But I hoped you liked this chapter, because I had a so much fun writing it (especially the ending). Please review with anything you want to say, and I will see you next update!**

**-E**


	6. When Will My Life Begin?

**Hi there! This chapter was my favorite for a lot of reasons. First off, Rapunzel and Eugene are introduced in this chapter! I totally accept the headcanon that Rapunzel's mom and Anna and Elsa's mom were sisters, so I used that to my advantage here. But since I am adding elements from Tangled, I will put a disclaimer: I don't own Tangled any more than I do Frozen or ROTG. Sadly I didn't come up with any of these ideas. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, because as I said before, this is my favorite so far!**

**-E**

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I was entirely stunned. Though extremely aware of Jack's lips on mine, I couldn't seem to move, to tell him that this was utterly wrong. And I liked it. I liked the way he kissed me. But that was inexcusable. I told myself today that I couldn't do this. The wedding was ever approaching, and I had to keep up the tradition of Arendelle.

Still, I stood in complete stillness until Jack pulled back. He looked at my face tenderly, as though trying to gauge my reaction. Unbidden, my hand rose to my lips, but at the same time, I looked Jack directly in the eye and shook my head slowly.

"Why not Elsa?" he asked, his voice even huskier than usual.

"Hans," I managed to choke out.

"Do you love him Elsa?" Jack asked me. "Because if you do, I swear I will leave you alone. I won't try to be anything other than an instructor and friend. But if there is even a chance that I might make you mine, I have to take it. I've never met another girl like you. There is something about you that is so different. It's not that you're Queen, I promise. Under your cool exterior, there's someone in there that sees wonder in everything. You don't have to hide that part of yourself with me; I've already seen it. Just tell me what you feel Elsa, I beg you. Do you love Hans?"

I wanted to lie. I wanted to say that I did so I wouldn't have to worry about how to deal with all my confusing feelings about Jack. But I couldn't lie to him; I found myself shaking my head as answer to his question. He looked thrilled for a moment, but that was also the moment I found my voice.

"It doesn't matter if I don't love him now," I said, and Jack's face immediately dropped. "I will learn to. I have to marry him for the sake of Arendelle, because I do love my people and my kingdom. And this is what my parents wanted. What kind of daughter would I be if I didn't respect them and their wishes, especially since they have passed on?"

"You can rule a kingdom without an arranged marriage," Jack said. "In fact, you would better rule it if it was alongside someone you actually cared about. You don't even know Hans."

"I don't know you either!" I exploded. "Are you trying to tell me that I need to marry you instead? That is beyond hypocritical, because I don't know either of you well enough to marry you."

"I'm not talking about marriage Elsa!" Jack raised his voice; we were both yelling now. "It's called getting to know someone before marriage. I want you to follow your heart, like I am doing. My heart is telling me that I like you as more than a friend, and I wish I could court you, to get to know you, and I know I can't, but if there's any chance that you will give _us_ a chance, you have to take it."

"I can't," I whispered. "Goodbye Jack. I will see you and your family at the wedding."

"Elsa, you can't do this!" Jack screamed.

"I can and I will," I answered, trying to remain calm, though I was close to tears. "You need to leave, now." Jack shook his head slightly, but propelled himself through the open window, faster than I had ever seen him fly before. I didn't look out after him. I didn't think my resolve would last if I did.

Instead, I crawled into bed, knees at my chest, and quietly cried. I didn't want to have to lose Jack. Something about him drew me to him, something that I couldn't fathom in words. But more than anything, his words kept coming back. I didn't love Hans, and I wished more than I could explore my feelings for Jack, but the horrible truth was that I couldn't. The most important duty of a Queen was to give up what she wanted for the sake of her country. My parents obviously thought that Hans would be the best King that Arendelle could have after they were gone. My parents were beloved and wise rulers, and I had no reason to doubt that what they would have wanted would be best for Arendelle.

It was long after the sun had spread its golden rays into my room that I finally wiped any lingering tears from my face and prepared myself. Today was going to be special, and I wouldn't let last night's events prevent me from enjoying myself. My cousin, Rapunzel, and her husband Eugene were coming from Corona for the wedding. Rapunzel had an amazing story. She was stolen just days after she born, but with a bandit named Flynn, on her eighteenth birthday she had found out that she was the lost princess of Corona and reunited with my aunt and uncle. Flynn had turned out to actually be named Eugene, and they have been happily married ever since.

After I deemed that no traces of tears were left on my face, I exited my room, heading straight for Anna. I had learned long ago that if Anna didn't come bounding into my room, she was still sleeping. Sure enough, it took several knocks on her door for Anna to respond, and when I finally walked in, she was still sitting in bed, rubbing her eyes, her hair an unbelievable mess. Despite all this, I couldn't help to smile.

"Come on and get up, Rapunzel and Eugene are coming today," I reminded my sister. At my words, Anna squealed, woke up instantly, and ran into her closet, coming out not a minute later in a casual green and tan dress. She quickly threw her hair into two braids, and then grabbed my hand and dragged me out of her room.

Hans and Gerda met us in the throne room. "Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene's ship has just arrived," Gerda informed us. "My Queen, you forgot your cape and crown in your room this morning." She held out the items to me. I was confused, but I took the royal garments and quickly put them on. I was sure I had left my room this morning wearing both. I must have been more disoriented from last night than I had thought.

No sooner than I had secured my tiara in my hair than the doors opened and Rapunzel and Eugene entered. We had only met Rapunzel once before, when she had come with her parents to our parents' funeral (in fact, it was on the way to Rapunzel's wedding that my parent's ship went down). True, I had been absent for the funeral, but I had managed to collect myself and my powers to see them on their last day in Arendelle.

Rapunzel ran straight towards Anna and I, enveloping both of us in her arms. "It's so good to see you both again!" she exclaimed. "Elsa, you're going to be the most beautiful bride," she told me as she pulled away.

"Thank you," I told her. I gave a fleeting hug to Eugene before beckoning Hans forward. "I would like to introduce you to my betrothed, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. Hans, this is my cousin, Princess Rapunzel of Corona and her husband Prince Eugene." Hans shook both of their hands, and we conversed for a few minutes before Rapunzel, Anna, and I left to enjoy a spot of tea, leaving Eugene and Hans to become better acquainted.

"So, Elsa, what's Hans like?" Rapunzel asked the second we sat down. She leaned forward towards me, her face eager for information.

"Well," I said, and then hesitated. I quickly took a sip of tea to cover up that moment, and hoped that Anna and Rapunzel wouldn't notice. "He's very courteous, and definitely wants to do the best he can at ruling Arendelle after the wedding. He's dedicated to the country already, which is fantastic. I'm sure that he will be a fine king and husband."

Rapunzel nodded. "It seems that he'll be good for you. It's awful that you can't get to know him better before the wedding, but I hope that soon you love each other as much as Eugene and I love each other!" I made a small noise of agreement to show I was listening, but looking at Rapunzel reminded of what my parents had done.

My father was supposed to marry Rapunzel's mother, Primrose. And the King of Corona, Thomas, was supposed to marry my mother. Primrose and Idun, my mother, were sisters. When they went to meet their husbands, Thomas fell in love with Primrose and Agdar, my father, fell in love with Idun. Neither of them stuck to the cultural norm by sticking to the arranged marriage. So why must I?

I was quiet throughout most of the tea, speaking only when spoken to and giving short answers. I knew that Anna and Rapunzel were giving me strange looks, but at the moment I didn't care. I didn't know what to do, and while I didn't want to disrespect the last wishes of my parents, I also didn't want marry someone I didn't love, when they had themselves gone against the norm.

After tea, Anna and I gave Rapunzel and Eugene a tour of the castle, and then we decided to head out to the town. Hans decided to accompany us. He offered me his arm as we stepped outside. I gave an inaudible sigh, but fit my hand in the crook of his elbow.

We stayed in the town for a good hour and half. Rapunzel was admiring the fountains near the market (saying how she would love an opportunity to paint them) when it happened.

I was aimlessly scanning the town when my eyes fell upon that head of white hair. He was with his Heidi and Rebekka, and they looked to be buying groceries. I turned my head to the other side quickly, praying that Jack didn't notice me. I got my wish… it wasn't Jack who found me.

"Momma, look, it's Elsa and Anna!" Rebekka yelled excitedly. "Let's go say hi!" I risked a peak back over in their direction, and sure enough, and I saw Rebekka leading both Heidi and Jack towards our party. There was no avoiding Jack now.

Rebekka noticed my glance and quickly closed the remaining space between us. "Hi, Elsa, hi Anna!" she exclaimed. I had no choice but to greet her and her family as well.

"This is my cousin Rapunzel, and her husband Eugene," I introduced. "Rapunzel, Eugene, this is Rebekka Frost. Her mother, Heidi, is the one who made my wedding dress, and this is her brother, Jack. Rapunzel and Eugene have come up for the wedding.

Jack, who had been looking down at his shoes, promptly scowled at the word 'wedding'. I hoped that I was the only one who noticed, because the rest of the group was listening to Rapunzel compliment Heidi (I had showed my cousin my dress on the tour of the palace). Jack glanced up, saw my hand in Hans' arm, and his expression looked even more furious.

Rebekka was busy telling Rapunzel and Eugene about how my physician had made her all better from her sickness, so the two of them plus Anna were smiling down at the girl. But Hans was glaring at Jack. When I looked back at Jack, he too was staring Hans down. Both of them had looks of deepest loathing in their eyes.

"Well, Elsa, it was lovely to see you, and to meet your relatives. They seem like very nice people," Heidi said. I turned my attention from the two men and focused on Heidi. "We'll see you at the wedding, alright? Only four days away after today." I tried to smile at her words, but my mouth just twisted in an odd way, and I was sure it looked more like a grimace than anything else.

Heidi led Rebekka away, but Jack and Hans were still locked in a stare-down. It wasn't until Rebekka touched Jack's arm that he seemed to break out of a trance. He blinked, looked down at his sister, and set off without one look even in my direction. I couldn't even pretend to myself that I wasn't hurt by that.

My group headed back up to the palace, where Gerda informed us that dinner was to be ready in ten minutes time. The others started to head in the direction of the dining room but I stayed back. "If you'll excuse me for a few moments, there's something I'd like to take care of before dinner. I will be back in time to join you, I promise," I murmured. The others nodded and I set off on my own the opposite way toward the library.

When I reached one of my favorite rooms in the whole castle, I stood in front of a large painting of my parents. It was commissioned right after their wedding, and they were in their wedding attire. I wished nothing more that I could talk to them, ask them what to do, but the longer I stood there, the angrier I became.

"You should have let me choose," I snarled with tears prickling at my eyes. "I never wanted to get married this early, and I wanted to have someone of my own choosing. You didn't do as you were told, so why are you making me? Is this some sort of punishment for having my powers?" I flung off my gloves and held up my hands, as though my parents could see them. "Wasn't separating me from Anna, and the rest of the world, punishment enough? Why couldn't I just have chosen like you did? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?" With that, I slammed my hands on their portrait. From my fists, ice crept up the picture at an alarmingly fast rate. To my horror, the whole painting was covered in ice before I could even blink. I stood back, breathing heavily, staring at my hands like they had just grown scales. I grabbed my gloves and wrenched my hands back into them, and then ran over to the large window. I threw it open, hoping that the final rays of the sun could melt the portrait before anyone could walk in and notice what I'd done. I didn't know if I could stand to look at what I'd done, so I swept from the room so I could join the others.

Throughout dinner, I tried my hardest not to think of the monstrosity I had committed. I knew the others could tell I was acting off, but when Anna tentatively asked me about my mood, I just told her it was pre-wedding jitters. Rapunzel gave me a sympathetic look and told me that she had felt the same thing before her wedding, and that the feelings would pass once the wedding was finally here. After that, everyone seemed much more accepting of my behavior, thought I did notice Hans casting sideways glances at me every so often.

After dinner was finished (even though I couldn't bring myself to eat more than a few bites), Hans asked to speak with me alone. I agreed, so Anna, Rapunzel, Eugene, and the servants all cleared out of the room. I turned to Hans, and found him frowning down at me.

"I told you yesterday, I don't like the way Jack Frost looks at you," he growled. "I won't take you talking back to me this time. He will not be invited to the wedding and that is final."

"He and his family are invited, and there's no changing it," I told him as firmly as I could. To be honest, Hans was starting to scare me. I didn't like his harsh, commanding tone of voice at all.

His hand was too quick for me to see it. All I felt was my head whipping to the side and a throbbing sting sensation in my cheek. Then Hans grabbed my face in one of his hands, squeezing uncomfortably. "He will not be coming," Hans snarled, his face in mine. "I am your husband and king, and what I say will be done." He pushed my face backward so hard I almost lost my footing. I stared up at him in horror for a moment, and then ran from the room.

That was it. I couldn't marry him now. There would be no way that my parents would support me marrying someone who was abusive to me. Hans was showing his true colors, and I refused to spend my life being physically abused by my husband.

I went straight to my room, where I threw down my tiara and cape. Going to my window, I threw it open, but then hesitated. I had had a destination in mind, but it would be risky. Very risky. But I had nowhere else to turn, and now that I was sure that I would not be marrying Hans… I had to give him a chance. If I didn't know anything else, I knew that I wanted to give us a chance.

Taking my gloves off for a moment, I threw out my hands to create a slide out of snow down to the ground. I propelled myself out the window and slid softly to the ground. I pulled my gloves back on and took off running again. I didn't stop until I came to his house. He was in the back yard, looking thoroughly dejected, tossing a snowball up in the air and catching it over and over. I could only assume his power kept the snowball from breaking every time it made contact with his hand.

"Jack," I called softly. His head turned immediately at my words, and his eyes grew large. "I was wrong before," I told him, walking closer to him. "I do want to try this, because I don't love Hans… but I do have feelings for you. I want to try and be with you."

Jack looked at me as though I were a miracle. He stood slowly and closed the gap between us. He raised his hand as if to caress my face, when he noticed my cheek, the one that Hans had slapped earlier.

"Elsa," he breathed. "That bruise… who did this to you?"

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**What do you think Jack's going to do once he figures out the truth? How do you think Elsa's going to try and get out of the wedding? Will Anna, Rapunzel, and Eugene find out what Hans did to Elsa? I have lots of ideas on how to answer these questions, and we're getting really close to the wedding date. Please review with anything you might want to say, because I try my hardest to answer every review, and I appreciate all of them, as well as all follows/favorites! On another note, school is starting soon, and since it's my senior year, I'll likely be pretty busy. However, I won't give up on this story and I will update as often as I can. Until the next chapter, my dear readers!**

**-E**


	7. So Close

**I'm back, and I bring another chapter with me! This one was probably the most difficult to write so far, just because of the amount of dialogue in it, but I'm still really pleased with the way it turned out, and I hope you will be too. Without further ado, I'll let you start reading!**

**-E**

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For a moment, I froze. I had completely forgotten about the bruise on my face, and for a moment I considered lying about its origins. But if I really wanted to create a relationship between Jack and myself, I knew that I'd have to be honest.

"Hans," I murmured, not able to look Jack in the eye. "He hit me earlier today because he noticed that you have feelings for me. He was mad when I told him that you and your family were still invited to the wedding."

If Jack had looked angry today when he had faced off with Hans by the fountain, that was nothing compared to the fury his expression now held. He was livid, even murderous.

"I have half a mind right now to fly back to the castle and freeze him where he stands for doing this to you," Jack snarled through clenched teeth. "No man should ever, _ever_, hit a girl, no matter how angry he might be. That… I don't have the words to tell you how much I want to make him pay for that."

"Don't do anything that will get you arrested," I warned. His breathing was still intense, and it looked like he was fighting against his conscience. Hesitantly, I took his hand, hoping that it would calm him down. "We need to talk about the wedding. I refuse to go through with it… but I don't know how to get out of it. If I just suddenly say that the wedding is cancelled, Hans will most likely get physical again. And Anna wouldn't understand. No one would. They would probably force me to marry him."

Jack's eyebrows scrunched together, as if working out some difficult problem in his head. Suddenly, his face lit up like a thousand lanterns that had all been lit at once. "You could be a runaway bride," he said, a sneaky little grin adorning his face. When he saw me slowly shaking my head, he launched into an explanation. "Think about it. No one is going to let you have a relationship with a commoner are they?" I had no choice but to answer no. "Well, this way you won't have to deal with Hans, and we could start a relationship together. You wouldn't have to worry about hiding your powers anymore; you could use them freely around me. You wouldn't have all the responsibilities that come with ruling a kingdom. And Rebekka would love having you around; she already refers to you as being like an older sister."

"We couldn't come back," I whispered. "If I run off with you, Hans will stop at nothing to get me back. Your house will be the first place they'll look. We can't put Rebekka and Heidi in danger by coming straight here. We'd have to leave Arendelle far behind." Even though I could feel the truth behind my words, it still hurt me to say them. Arendelle was all I had ever known, and I could scarcely imagine living anywhere else. And leaving would mean leaving Anna behind, losing Anna… again….

"I can't leave Anna," I wailed suddenly, tears already budding in my eyes at the thought. "She's all I have left, and I can't leave and suddenly dump all the responsibilities of being queen on her. What if she was forced to marry Hans instead of me? I can't do that to her, I can't put her in that kind of danger! She's my sister!" My words were becoming increasingly more hysterical the longer I spoke.

Jack enveloped me in his arms while I sobbed into his shoulder. Losing Anna, putting her under the pressure of marrying Hans, was something that I couldn't do. I would sacrifice myself and my happiness if it meant preserving hers. Yet the thought of a lifetime married to Hans, without Jack, was unbearable.

"We don't have to make any plans just yet," Jack reminded me after I had somewhat calmed down. "We still have three days. We'll come up with something, don't worry. I'm not going to let you marry that pathetic excuse for a man." I nodded, and with that, Jack gently picked me up and flew me back to the palace. I was so disoriented I even forgot to be afraid, and before I knew it I was set onto my bed.

"I'll be back tomorrow," Jack promised, hugging me. A crazy thought came to me, and before I lost my nerve, I tentatively pressed my lips to his, and it felt just as right as it had the last time we kissed.

When we broke apart, Jack was shot me a grin, and then left. He jumped out of my window and didn't reappear in the sky, but I knew it was because the sky was already starting to lighten (I had been with him for hours and hadn't realized it), and he couldn't take the chance of flying so high at the risk of being seen.

"Elsa?" a shocked voice said from the doorway. Whipping my head around, I saw Anna standing there, two mugs of hot chocolate in her hand, and I knew that she had seen the whole thing.

"Anna!" I gasped, trying my hardest not to look guilty (and probably failing miserably). "This-this isn't what it looks like," I defended. Even to my own ears, the words sounded excruciatingly weak.

"It looked like you were just kissing Jack Frost, Rebekka's older brother!" Anna rightfully accused. "I may not know him well, but no one else looks like him. How did you even get to know him in the first place? And what about Hans? You were going to marry him, fall in love and be King and Queen together?" Anna sounded more confused than angry, and I knew I could no longer hide the truth from her.

I relaxed my somewhat stiff posture, and gestured for Anna to join me. She set the mugs down on my vanity and jumped onto the bed, plopping herself down in front of me. "Do you see this bruise?" I asked, pointing it out on my face. As expected, Anna let out an enormous gasp.

"Elsa, what happened?" she wailed.

"Hans did it," I murmured, which elicited an even louder gasp from Anna. "Right after dinner, he said he didn't want the Frost's coming to the wedding. I argued with him about it, so he hit me. I knew, after that moment, that I couldn't marry him. I wouldn't be able to be an effective ruler of Arendelle if I was being beaten into submission."

"But what about Jack?" Anna inquired. "How does he fit into all of this?"

Here, I hesitated. I finally had a chance to tell Anna about my powers, to open up to her after thirteen years of staying silent. But as I tried to find the words to tell her, the scene flashed in my mind once again: striking her head, almost taking her life. I couldn't risk that happening ever again. "I met him at the ball when Hans arrived," I heard myself saying. "He seemed like a great person, but I didn't really get to know him until I went to visit Heidi that first time. Um, you didn't know it, but we got along so well, and I felt something for him that I didn't feel for Hans. We met secretly, and though he expressed wishes to pursue a romantic relationship, I knew that I did have a duty to Arendelle to marry Hans. But when Hans hit me tonight, I knew I couldn't go through with it, and it gave me the courage to try a relationship with Jack."

"Oh, Elsa, I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Anna said playfully. "I'd support you through anything, and we'll come up with a plan to cancel the wedding. Actually, I've kind of been doing the same thing." I raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "You remember Kristoff? We've sort of been meeting every day, and I really like him. Like, _like_ him.

"You were never in an arranged marriage though Anna," I said softly. "You can still be with Kristoff."

"I know that, but what I don't understand is why you can't have the same thing," Anna told me, a somewhat sad look in her eye. "Elsa, you've given up so much because you love Arendelle, and you want to be all that you can for Arendelle. But this time, you have to think about yourself for once. We will find a way for you and Jack to be together, I promise."

"Jack wants me to run away with him at the wedding, but I can't drop everything and put the pressure of being queen on you," I muttered so quietly I wasn't even sure Anna heard the words. But judging from the way her face lit up, she most certainly had.

"Elsa, that's the answer!" Anna exclaimed. I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off before I could utter a single word. "Look, you need to be with Jack, and running away from Hans will let you do that. Hans will get angry and try to look for you, but if you guys manage to evade him, he'll eventually have to give up trying. Once that happens, you two can come back and you can live happily ever after. And I know you don't want to force me to be queen, but I know that Rapunzel, Kai, and Gerda will help me. And Kristoff won't let them force me to marry Hans, especially if I tell him that Hans is abusive. I'll take care of everything until you and Jack get back, I promise."

"You'd really do that for me?" I asked, close to tears. I couldn't believe Anna was willing to take on so much responsibility, just for the sake of my happiness. I couldn't have been blessed with a sister more wonderful than Anna.

"Of course, Elsa. You deserve it," Anna said, giving me a hug. "But anyway, I came in here because I knew that you were uncomfortable today. Of course, I didn't exactly realize why until now, but I still think some hot chocolate would be good for you. I know it's earlier than we usually wake up, but I couldn't sleep and I figured you couldn't either."

I took the steaming mug from her gratefully, taking small sips of the delicious drink, and my sister and I just talked about anything and everything (with the exception of my power). We must have sat there for hours, and I relished these last few moments with my sister. Who knew when we were going to get another opportunity like this?

"Do you think we should tell Rapunzel and Eugene about Jack?" Anna asked somewhere in the middle of our conversation.

"I think we're going to have to," I sighed. "There's no way to hide the bruise on my face, so no doubt they will ask questions about its origin. I don't particularly want to lie, and if we're going to pull this off, we'll need their help. But don't tell any of the servants, not even Kai and Gerda, until after I've left. They'll try and do anything to stop me from leaving." Though Kai and Gerda were almost substitute parents for Anna and I, I knew that this was one thing they could not know. I loved them dearly, but they would try and make me stay. Rapunzel, however, would understand that I needed to be free of Hans and chase my own destiny.

By mid-morning, Rapunzel came into my room, wondering where Anna and I were. We told her everything about Jack, Hans, and what I was planning to do, and she was in full support of our plans. "You need to focus on love, not who other people tell you to marry," she kept reminding me. I didn't even try to protest that I wasn't _in love_ with Jack yet, because I knew both my sister and my cousin would brush off those arguments like they were nothing.

We discussed certain strategies to help me actually leave the place with Hans and give Jack and I enough of a head start before Hans starting chasing us. We came up with a plan, and I was thrilled by what we had done.

We stayed in my room for the better part of the day. Gerda came in once or twice to bring us meals, and when she questioned about my bruise, I simply told her that I had tripped the previous night and had accidentally hit my face on a chair, and that it wasn't anything serious. I wasn't sure if she would believe my lie, but thankfully she didn't question me.

The only time the three of us left is when we had to look at the chapel, which had been decorated for the wedding (which, after today, would be in two days). It was the same area where my coronation had taken place, but this time gigantic white flowers were covering the walls, with a few purple ones thrown in for color. A white and purple arch had been placed in front of the altar, where Hans and I were going to stand. Hans was there as well, but Anna and Rapunzel firmly placed themselves on either side of me, so he didn't try anything. I did see him look at my bruise with a particularly vindictive pleasure however, and that only increased my belief that I was doing the right thing by leaving.

I gave the chapel area my approval, because I honestly didn't care anymore about what the wedding looked like. I wasn't going to be attending long enough to enjoy it anyway. After that, Anna, Rapunzel, and I raced back up to my room, so as not to give Hans any time to try and speak with me. I was determined not to find myself alone with him anymore.

The sky had just darkened when Anna, Rapunzel, and I put the last finishing touches on our plan. Even though I was immersed in our talk, I couldn't help but glance up toward the sky. Jack said he would come tonight, and I wanted that to mean that he would show up the second it became dark enough for him to fly. Even still, I was almost sweating of anticipation. I hadn't told my sister or my cousin anything of Jack's powers yet, because I wasn't sure if Jack wanted me to. I told Anna this morning that Jack had jumped onto the tree that was right by my window and climbed down that, and thankfully she had believed me. But if Jack flew into my window, there would be no way to hide his powers from Anna and Rapunzel.

"Well, Elsa, I guess we'll see you tomorrow," Anna said, standing up and stretching her arms above her head.

"Wait!" I called out. My sister and cousin looked back at my questioningly. "I want you to meet Jack," I said quickly. "He said that he was coming tonight, and I know you've technically met him before, but neither of you have spoken with him. I want you two to have that opportunity."

"Oh, that would be perfect!" Anna squealed. "I need to tell him that he better treat you right, or else I'm going to kick his butt all the way to wherever he came from."

"Whose butt are we kicking?" a voice came from my window. Anna and Rapunzel screamed when they looked toward the sound and saw Jack floating right outside the room.

"How-how is he doing that?" Rapunzel asked, sounding frightened, but almost in an awed sort of way.

"What, Elsa, didn't tell you about my very special talents?" Jack inquired. I shook my head at him, explaining that it wasn't my secret to tell. Jack shrugged. "Based on what you told me last night, I figured that you were going to tell Anna about us, and I don't really care if she knows. Or your cousin, for that matter. I trust your judgment."

"I like him already!" Anna exclaimed. "But Jack, I will be kicking your butt if you don't treat my sister the way she deserves. Don't underestimate me."

"Or me," Rapunzel chimed in. "Or my husband," she added as an afterthought.

"Don't scare him away," I chastised the two lightly. Jack just laughed in response.

"Hey, they're your family, I expected this once they found out," he assured me. "Anyway, to explain how I can fly, I somehow have power over snow, ice, basically all things winter. I can fly because I just ask the wind to take me to a certain place, and then it happens. I couldn't tell you how I got these powers; I was born with them. Just like-" I shook my head furiously, cutting him off. I knew he was about to reveal my secret, but I couldn't have him be the one to tell Anna or Rapunzel. I wasn't even sure if I wanted them to know. I had kept the secret from my sister far too long to come clean now, and I couldn't ever risk hurting her again.

Jack fumbled over his words, trying to correct his mistake. "Just like, um, _that_, I got my powers," Jack said, snapping his fingers to add extra emphasis to the word 'that'. Anna and Rapunzel looked a bit confused, but shrugged it off. I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

After his explanation, Jack came over to sit with us, and we told him about our plan. He was in full support of it, and even gave us a few ideas that would help us pull it off even more smoothly than before. I felt my heart race, knowing that I was going to be spared the awful path I was expected to tread.

Before long, I noticed Anna desperately trying and failing to stifle a yawn. "Anna, you need sleep," I told her gently. I held up a hand before she could protest, like I knew she would. "You were up early this morning, and it's getting late. You need rest. Don't forget, we have to double check every detail of the wedding tomorrow, and the day after we have the rehearsal dinner. We have to make sure that no one suspects anything is amiss. And we all need to be as alert as possible on the actual wedding day." Anna reluctantly nodded, as did Rapunzel.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Elsa," Anna said, giving me a hug. To my surprise, she hugged Jack as well. "Thank you for taking care of my sister," she told him, and then departed with Rapunzel for bed.

"You have a wonderful family Elsa," Jack murmured when the girls were gone.

"I'm so lucky to have Anna," I agreed with him. "I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her here, supporting me. I think I might just go insane."

"We will, pull this off, you know that right?" Jack asserted suddenly. "I can tell that you're worrying, and you don't need to. With all four of us working together, and Rapunzel said that she was going to get Eugene to help as well, it will easily work out. I promise that it will." With his last words, Jack enveloped me in his arms, and I would have loved to just stay there for hours on end. Despite both of our body temperatures being significantly colder than most people, Jack felt warm and comforting to me.

We stayed that way before I reminded Jack that I, too, needed my rest. He left reluctantly, but not without giving me a kiss first. I fell asleep, peacefully, for the first time in weeks, Jack's lips still lingering on mine.

* * *

**I hoped you like this chapter! What do you think their plan is? How do you think Hans will react? Leave a review to let me know! Thank you so much for being patient with me; school is taking a toll on my writing time, but I'm nowhere near done yet. Until next time.**

**-E**


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